Overall, this quote emphasises Magwitch’s desperation in chapter one.
As we analyse chapter one and chapter thirty-nine we begin to distinguish the differences between Pip’s characterised presence Dickens created from the two chapters.
From chapter one I can infer that Pip feels deserted. This is due to his frequent lingering in the graveyard visualising what his parents might have looked like, ‘As I never saw my father or my mother, and saw any likeness for them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones’. Pip’s fear and anxiety towards the convict gets exposed; he obeys Magwitch’s commands to get him the food he desperately needs and the file to free him of the chains that weigh him down while he is on the run. As well as this, Pip grasps onto the convict suggesting his fear. Pip gives Magwitch many short responses to his questions also exclaiming his fear of Magwitch. For example, ‘“Now lookee here!” said the man. ‘“Where’s your mother?”
“There, sir!” said I.’ Nonetheless, Pip still remains polite and respectful to Magwitch indicating his respect for his elders. Pip constantly addresses Magwitch as “sir” signifying his courtesy towards the convict.
In comparison to chapter one, Pip’s character has adjusted to his new life in the inner city of London. Pip has changed from a lonely boy to a high up gentleman. Unlike chapter one, Pip has become more confident and certain of himself and in an assured manner he stands up to Magwitch, ‘“Pray what is your business?”’ Chapter thirty-nine also shows another change, Pip is now has the power asking the questions to Magwitch unlike the reverse in chapter one. From chapter thirty-nine I can infer that Pip is astounded at what Magwitch is indicating; Magwitch is the benefactor, ‘“I swore that time, sure as ever I earned a guinea, that guinea should go to you.”’ This revelation causes a shortage of breath in Pip, a sudden acknowledgement of reality. ‘The abhorrence in which I held the man,’ this line suggests Pip’s great dislike towards Magwitch after hearing the truth.
In relation to Pip, Magwitch has also been through a change in character in the two chapters. In chapter one he was perceived as a very unapproachable and fierce character, he threatens Pip with intimidating language to get what he wants, ‘“Or I’ll have your heart and liver out.”’ In chapter one Magwitch uses physical aggression on Pip, constantly tilting him upside down. This forceful behaviour underlines his strength showing he has the authority. However, in chapter thirty-nine Pip has the supremacy of both men, ‘“Keep off!”’. Magwitch ridicules Pip in chapter one, threatening him with taunting language to get what he wants. For example, Magwitch states, ‘“I’ll have your heart and liver out”’. This line clearly will cause a shock in Pip, coming from a man of very poor presence, which will make him obey Magwitch’s commands. In chapter one, I can infer that Magwitch expresses himself poorly through his grammar. For instance, Magwitch exclaims, ‘“Pint out the place!”’ and he also asks Pip, ‘“And is that your father alonger your mother?”’
Since chapter one, the changes in Magwitch have not gone unnoticed. He now comes across as polite and courteous towards Pip unlike his tormenting language in chapter one, he quotes, ‘“Yes,” he replied; “I wish to come in’ Master.”’ In addition to this quote from Magwitch, he also refers to Pip as “Mr. Pip” and “Master” also highlighting the change of his respect towards Pip, in contrast to the opening chapter he referred to Pip as a “Young dog” emphasising his disrespect towards the young Pip. This chapter also includes the acknowledgement of Magwitch admitting to being Pip’s benefactor, ‘“Pip, dear boy, I’ve made a gentleman on you!” However, there are also similarities from the two extracts including Magwitch’s accent and the poor us of grammar he uses indicates the origin of where he comes from. In chapter one he uses the word “Pint” trying to achieve the actual word, point. In chapter thirty-nine he also uses a poor set of grammar including the word “warn’t” trying to accomplish the actual word, weren’t.
Analysing chapter one I have concluded that the novel is set in the marsh country due to the introduction of the setting in paragraph 3, ‘Curs was the marsh country’. The marsh country is a place where the ground is unstable and hazardous. Looking at the opening chapter I can infer that there is a sense of instability created by Dickens in the setting of the marsh country which heavily articulates the feelings of the young Pip of imbalance and anxiety. ‘Raw afternoon towards evening’, the frequent cold and bleak weather in Pip’s surroundings has caused him to assume this is the usual identity of things; his oblivious impressions of the outside world helps us understand his little knowledge on places outside the comfort of his usual settings. The introduction to the churchyard instantly conjures a sense of carelessness and neglect in its appearance, ‘That this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard’. This concept of neglect and carelessness in the churchyard connects with the idea of the “afterlife” and “living dead”, for instance examples of words contributing to this sense of desolation include, ‘dark’ and ‘bleak’. ‘Marshes were long and black’, this line depicts a representation of an ‘eternity of adversity’.
The induction of the weather and surrounding areas created by Dickens in chapter thirty-nine has a great relation to the weather and surrounding areas of that from chapter one. For instance, ‘It was wretched weather; stormy and wet’, linking to the depression of the weather in chapter one this line also can signify the start of bad events and things that will soon be happening. Dickens also uses a technique of repetition to emphasise the undesirable weather in London, ‘stormy and wet, stormy and wet; and mud, mud, mud, deep in all the streets’. ‘A vast heavy veil’, this line is talking about the consistent layer of rain in London; however, it can also personify the cover that surrounds Pip as he is unknown to who the benefactor is.
Throughout the novel, the most disturbing setting is Satis House due to its link to the owner, Miss Havisham. The scene where Miss Havisham shows Pip the residue of the breakfast she had on her wedding day is shocking yet it has great depth in the connection between Miss Havisham and the way she remains in the past. Pip describes the table, ‘it was so heavily overhung with cobwebs that its form was quite indistinguishable’. This surprises the reader and helps them to understand how deeply Miss Havisham was affected by being abandoned on her wedding day and on her birthday. The use of setting is vital in this particular novel as it links to the characters and builds up tension and anticipation of future events.
Charles Dickens wrote during the Industrial revolution, a time of an economic change. The Industrial revolution also affected England socially; Poor children were greatly neglected and sent to workhouses and factories where they worked long and hard hours for little or no pay. The Victorian public was very interested by Dickens’ writings as the characters and plot reflected greatly on that period of time.
Looking at chapter one I can see many associations between the time Dickens wrote and the novel. Firstly, in paragraph two it states, ‘the memory of five little brothers of mine- who gave up trying to get a living, exceedingly early in that universal struggle’. The deaths of Pip’s five little brothers suggest that there is a high death rate in infants. ‘A fearful man, all in course grey, with a great iron on his leg’, from this line the reader can understand how poor prisoners were treated at that time.
As well as in chapter one, there are also links between the time Dickens wrote and the novel. These include the poor conditions of streets in inner cities, the text states, ‘and mud, mud, mud, deep in all the streets’. Magwitch refers to America, Australia and New Zealand as “the new world”. The old one pond notes are in use in the novel which explains that there is difference in money forms in eighteenth century life. If Magwitch is found he will be hung which tells us the death penalty is in use in the eighteenth century unlike the twentieth century.
During chapter one, we feel great empathy for the young Pip. The young Pip is an orphan who is destitute and isolated; he regularly visits the graves of his dead family, his summary of his parents’ appearance are derived from their grave stones. He is terrorised by the convict forcing him to do things. This summary of Pip in chapter one causes the reader to sympathise with Pip causing a compassionate beginning towards the character of Pip. However, evaluating Magwitch, the convicts, character is a completely different story. Magwitch’s bullying and threatening behaviour towards Pip makes us despise his character seeing him as a thug and a nasty individual.
From chapter thirty nine the tables have turned in the reader’s feelings towards Pip. Now Pip acts as a snob, his behaviour is inappropriate, his reactions to Magwitch and the news he brings surprises reader as his behaviour in chapter one was very respectful towards his elders. Slowly he has forgotten what is really important in life and he almost has forgotten his roots. Unlike chapter one the reader does not sympathise with Pip, whereas in chapter one he frequently visited the graves of his parents. Also the feelings of the reader towards Magwitch have changed. We feel sorry for him; he is greatly delighted to see Pip again. However, Pip does not take his greeting kindly. We are also pleased for Magwitch as his criminal past is over and he has turned his life around making a good life for himself and Pip.
Overall, in this essay looking at both chapters we can understand and identify the changes that have gone through the two characters, Pip and Magwitch.
